


acts of service

by shadowcat500



Series: Plaguetober 2020 [28]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Gen, Plague Doctors, Plaguetober 2020, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowcat500/pseuds/shadowcat500
Summary: Esthe offers to clean Fern's cloak.
Series: Plaguetober 2020 [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948417





	acts of service

**Author's Note:**

> 28/10 Blood

“There’s blood on your cloak.”

“Hm?”

The one who spoke is the small astral priest that seemed so attached to the soldier of the sun. They all were attached, really, the shadow-thief, the mirror-monk and the warlock, but the priest seemed the most fretful when they’d dragged in the limp body of their friend. She’d been too heavy to lift, so the monk and the warlock had done their best.

“Doctor?”

They’re jerked out of their thoughts again. They want to complain, Jasper never interrupted them like this, but they know they’re only surprised because it’s been so long without anyone _but_ Jasper that they’ll start falling into themselves at the slightest prompting. “Yes?”

“Your cloak. Bloodstains can be dangerous if left uncleaned.”

“Ah. I should go deal with that, then. But your friend’s condition may change while I’m not here…”

“Hm. Then maybe I can just take your cloak, and you can stay here. You can- you can borrow mine if you need a cloak, though!”

It’s a decent enough offer, though it’s blatant to see the child just wants to help the doctor taking care of her friend in any way she can. “Certainly. I have no need of your cloak, so you can keep it.”

The priest nods, and takes the old cloak when they shrug it off their shoulders. It feels odd to go without it: like it had becomes a second skin over the years. From the moss grown into it and Fern’s own skin, it may as well have been. The priest leaves with the cloak before Fern can turn around to thank them, so they stay facing their patient, continuing their watch. Curses can be volatile things, especially those mimicking illness.

***

The cloak is returned at the evening meal. The soldier has gone long enough without a negative change in her condition that they think they can spare a half-hour or so to eat in another room.

The meal is rabbit and potatoes, cooked by the warlock and the thief who seem to be the group’s resident chefs. When the monk takes a bite they give a loud compliment on the food to the both of them, and from the warlock’s reaction and good-natured grumble about them always saying that Fern can tell this must be a common occurrence. The thief is too busy attempting to down the plate in one go to care, and Fern thinks that he either often went hungry in the past (far from uncommon for a young thief) or is afflicted with a classic case of growing teenager. 

The thief is apparently convinced to slow down in the space of time it takes Fern to get up for a drink, because he’s slowed his pace to a more normal rate that has less of a risk of choking. The priest stays silent through it all, but giving more the impression of ‘quiet child at a family dinner’ than genuine discomfort.

When the meal is finished, the little priest comes up to them, their cloak carefully folded in her arms. “It’s clean, now. I couldn’t get all the moss stains out, but everything else is off.”

They take the fabric, carefully, and with a nod of thanks. It’s softer than they remember it being, and it reminds them of why they loved it so much originally: without the rain-damp moss grown into the fabric it’s delightfully warm, and even now bears the deep woody green that had caught their eye in the marketplace. They nod again, and smile slightly in the way they normally only do behind their mask. They’d forgotten they’d taken it off to eat. “Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was more of a go at exploring how this group of characters interacted more than anything else
> 
> Check out my [ tumblr](https://existentialcrisisetcetera.tumblr.com/tagged/zach%20writes)!
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated!


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